NAV SCREEN SHATTERED

[Rich Nichols]

The other day my phone was ringing so i hit the send button on the screen and it didnt respond

on the 3rd try the screen shattered, the dealer told me they have to send the unit to the factory

and it may not be covered under the warranty, they also said they have seen it before and the factory refuse to replace it. Has anyone have this happen to them and what was the outcome?:banghead:

 

[Mark Stadnicki]

Wow, never heard of that. That's bull the dealer won't cover it even though they have knowledge of it happening to others.

 

[scott degroot]

I don't think I would replace it either if I were Ford. First you tapped the button and it didn't work, next you tapped it a little harder and it still didn't work, on the 3rd time you were frustrated and going wtf so you really showed that button on the touch screen who was boss...whether it happened like this or not who knows but if I were Ford that is what I would assume had happend. The screens just don't shatter for no good reason.

 

[Rich Nichols]

actually thats not what happened, its not like i smashed the f'ing thing and you know what

happens when you assume! btw thanks for your support :cheeky:

 

[zaffo oxnard]

This is the problem when auto manufactures start selling light duty electronics that break, it is nearly impossible to tell if a person pressed too hard. That being the case. the fact that the manufaturer installed it in a car's dash means that they warranty it for use in that capacity. Ford needs to replace it, unless you can see that an object (knife, pen, etc.) caused the damage.



It is a neat feature, but it is also prone to damage. If the thing is not rugged enough for use in a car where people's finger pressure may be affected by bumps in the road, deceration, etc.., then it is not a mature technology and the cost to putting it in the field without a good understanding of how it will react is the manufacturers fault. And they know that a certain number will just fail.



When they have to shell out the $ to replace, they will switch to a more expensive supplier that uses something like borosilicate glass like Apple uses on its touch screens. It may have glare / viewability issues in a car, but it is more durable than the soft screens they use in cars now. This is how all screens used in aircraft are made because they have to work.



I forsee these being a growing warranty expense as more and more of them are sold.



When in doubt, I back the consumer. This is a risk Ford assumed.

 

[Alan Peters]

Rich,



I've seen this happen in a Lincoln sync system. The user/driver was in her 60's and the purchasing dealer refused to warranty the claim stating your pressing to hard. Eventually she went back with an attorney asked to use a demo or sales floor car for her to repeat how she was using the system. She used the system how the dealer salesman taugth her. They warrantied the claim and 2 weeks later a new radio was installed.





When touch screen PC were sold and used the medical industry, the company I worked for at the time would repair the tablets. About 1 in 1000 would come back where the digitizers were cracked, but the LCD were fine. Digitzers are the glass portion of the touch screen which senses touch. I'm guessing that's whats the case is here.

 

[Rich Nichols]

yes Al just the outer layer of the screen is shattered, The dealer told me that is up to the factory

not sure if that is true or not, I spent over $80,000 on 3 vehicles this past yr they should back me up! You would think they would make the system so that the screen can be unpluged from the unit so its an easy fix $300 for a screen is better then $1900 for the whole unit!

 

[scott degroot]

Rich



I am not gonna try to sugar coat what Ford is more than likely going to say happened to your screen, plain and simple that is what they are going to claim happened. It is not the decision of the servicing dealer to replace your nav unless they want to get stuck with the bill for it. If they replace it and then Ford denies the claim the servicing dealer is out the money for the repair and they aren't going to do that unless you are an A++ customer and spending 80k at one delaership in a year does not make you an A++ customer. Can the screen be repaired? Absolutely, but Ford does not have the service people to do so.



I do wish you luck in getting this warrantied but if I were a betting man I would have to bet against you. I think that your only saving grace is going to be if the breakage in the screen happened at some point other than the phone button and then it will only be if they believe you that you were trying to press it when it happened....personally I find it easier to push the button on the steering wheel to answer the phone...just saying.



Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Rich Nichols]

Thanks tech ,if it can be repaired where can i bring it? The dealer sent it to the factory today

I should here in a few days

 

[Rich Nichols]

I here ya Scott its just upsetting do you know of a place that repairs the screens?

just in case they dont replace it.

 

[scott degroot]

I know there are a few places around me that do it...don't know the name right off hand though but I'll look into it for you.

 

[Richard L]

Rich,

If Ford won't cover it, and the part is expensive, put a claim in on your Comprehensive insurance coverage. Yes, insurance companies will pay for damages like that even if they were done by the owner. You might have to geta statment from Ford or the dealer that the damage was not covered under the warranty to claim it on your insurance.



Back in 1990 I bought a new Honda Accord (still have it) and my wife burned a hole in the drivers seat cushion (she smoked). I went to my worthless insurance agent and he did not think that State Farm would cover that damage....Suprise, surprise ! They paid for the whole thing minus my $50 deductable. Just the fabric cover for the seat bottom cushion alone was over $270. When the cover came in, I brought the car in and they sent it to an uposltery shop to have it installed, and that was $65.



...Rich

 

[Rich Nichols]

Thanks for the advice Rich

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Rich,



Sorry to hear that.



I'm on a fact kick so I think I understand what 1tech is saying, The facts of the case are that you hit the button, repeatedly, because it wasn't sensing your touch. On the third hit you hit with force that was sufficient to break the outter screen. Presumably also a fact is that you have hit that same screen many, many times in the past in a manner that it sensed your touch, but did not break the screen.



So, if I were the dealer, I would look at it in this way...



I might not be inclined to replace it and eat the cost either.



I'm not saying there isn't a defect here. There may be. Possibly there are conditions or circumstances in which the touch screen doesn't work well. Because of that possible defect people are hitting the screen harder than they might otherwise (again, an assumption on my part of what people MAY be doing). Granted, if the screen was working properly then it might not get broken by more hard presses.



I'm just wondering if there is a bigger problem with touch screen sensitivity at play here, one that is causing undue hard pressing by users????



Logic and common sense would say that you pressed it too hard, that one time.



When you see hoof prints think horses, not zebras.



TJR